Vehicle body construction



Oct- 20, 1.935- J. LEDWINKA VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Deo. 2l, 1956 Oct. 20, 1936. J. LEDwlNKA VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION I 4 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Deo. 2l, 1936 ToRNY Oct'. 20, 11936. J, EDWINKA 2,058,328

VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 21, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENroR. Jos-EPHLBDWINKA Oct. 20, 1936.

J. I EDwlNKA 2,058,328

VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Deo. 21, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PICMG IIII IIII n INVENTOR. lo sgml LEDWINKA.

i BAY' ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 20, A1936 o assaszs y vEnrcLE nonr coNs'rnUc'rloN inspanning, Philadelphia, rs., immto Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company.' Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylv UNITED STATES f PATENT oFFicE.

Application member zur, iosa, Nosvesssi salaam.A (onzas-44) i., My invention is a vehicle window structure, s perimetral nnjfor flange of different depth, the

particularly of the so-called no-draft type in which a glass is divided into a stationary leading portion and a hinged trailing portion for a l streamline position exterior of the body converging forwardly from aposition spaced from the body to a position adjacent thereto, and

whereby drafts or air swirls inside the vehicle..

are prevented. Windows of this type have heretofore presented considerably difliculty of construction and undesirable features of operation, particularly Iwhere employed in combination with the usual perpendicularly movable glasses, and, even where employed without such glasses, have required the assembly of many small pieces built successively into the body.

A main object of my invention is to provide a no-draft window which may be completely assembled as a unit away from the vehicle body.

and then, as desired, be quickly and easily thrust into position and completely sealed and secured with a few simple operations.

Attending such main object are other VobjectsV conducing to effective operation, simplicity anddurability in construction and economy of manufacture, which are attained by the employment of a novel glass-edge guard, a hingeI seal, a control means providing a window-operating force or means vresponsive to movementof the window to any position for automatically locking it in such position, and other features of advantage which will hereinafter appear. i

- In a preferred form, and in general, a sheet metal vehicle body has an opening surroundedby -a generally horizontal inwardly-extending finish molding merging into an upright perimetral shoulder radiating away f rom the molding and' terminating in an inner horizontal ange 40 of greater diameter than the molding; thisstr'uc- Lture being in one or more pieces as desired, and fconstituting a receptacle for the telescopic reception of the window unit.

The unit comprises a relatively heavy preferably soft rubber frame defining the outermost `limits of the unit on or within which the other parts are supported and which is adapted to be thrust normal to its'plane, from within the vehicle, outwardly thereof and into the abovementioned-inner body ange against the adjacent radiating perimetral shoulder. An inner finish molding is then also telescopically thrust into the body fiangeagainst the rubber frame i'rom the interior of a' vehicle,` and and suitably secured tothe body'.

. embraces the 'me meer :mie pas ininwanily-mciuimvv portion'of greater depth being opposite a stationary'sheet metal glass edge guard and the portion of lesser depth surrounding the position of a similar glass edge guard for hinged move- 6 ment with its glass out of the plane of the unit frame. These guards, forming'components of a composite'glass edge guard frame, and are of substantially c-shape in sidecontour and are hinged together at the adiacent facing ends l thereof by hinges connned within the\space deiinedby the rubberframe.

The guards are, in perimetral or cross-section,v

opening channels facing toward and away from 15 the 'window in the direction of the plane thereof; the channels facing the window being adapt- .l ed to receive rubber seal strips of channel section in which the 'glasses are disposed. The outwardly-ope channel of the stationary guard portion of greater depth in tightly sealedrelationthereto, this relation also serving to supportv and stabilize the inner unit parts.

Since the hingedly movable guard, like the stationary guard, i'ollows the outer contour of a symmetrical window, the nn of lesserdepth on the mainframe is thereby keptout ofthe chani nel of the adiacentguard which has a portion for engaging the outer side of the iln and there- A-by sealingthe hinged glass element in the closed position thereof,

A seal between'the adjacent hinged edges of. the component glass elementsis preferably in the formo! a soft rubber strip having oppositely facing -'portions of channel sectionl embracing ,36j these edges and so extending'to the sealsfin the vguard channels and to the main seal frame as to il'ect a substantially perfect seal all about the, .unit Vand between its movable parts. Associated with the opening edge of the hinged [glass element, an operating orv control mechanism is provided, which, lin one form,'may include a source of window operating force for release by a,simple latch-release effect, or, in la preferred form iso-suchthat, in response to movement of the windowto any position to which it myy be so ino'vedit automatically locks the window in such position.- `'lhe invention will be better unders'tood by to theiollowlng 'description-and theaecomvlnyl! drawings. inwhich: is a viewgin-side elevation, 'of a win-` dow unit-'of the invention, the view being taken broken aww. l 66' Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a detail side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, taken substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3, f

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged views, taken along the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 1,

Figure 7 is an enlarged view taken along the line 1 1 of Figure 1, showing, in top plan, a window operating mechanism of the invention in the positions assumed in the closed position of the window,

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, with the parts disposed as related in the open position of the window,

Figure 9 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in vertical plane of the operating mechanism, in the positions of the parts as indicated in Fig. '1,v and l Figure 10 is a view, simlar to Fig. 9, of a modied form of control or window operating mechanism of the invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, an outer side panel I4, Figs. 5 and 6, of a sheet metal automobile body, has a Window opening about which is disposed a generally horizontal inwardly-extending finishy molding I5 merging into an`upright perimetral shoulder I6 and terminating inwardly in a horizontal flange I 9; these Y parts being variously of one or more shapes or parts in various relations, as indicated, but which are not germane to this invention, except in the provision of the general shape described.

A heavy soft rubber frame 20 having a peripheral channel 2| providing greater compressive yieldability for sealing it against the shoulder I6,

has an inner n or flange, which, as viewed in.

Figs. 5 and 6, is of different depths; a portion 23, Fig. 5, being of greater depth and disposed about three sides ofa stationary glass 24, and a portion 25, Fig. 6, being of lesser depth and disposed about a movable glass 26. The frame 20 may also have a bead 21 for seating and better sealing it against the edge or llet between the outer finish molding I5 and the shoulder I6.

Sheet metal glass guard or edge trim members 29 and 3II of substantially C-shape in side contour, as viewed in Fig. 1, embrace the horizontal and remote perpendicular edges of the stationary and movable component glasses 24 and 26, re-

- spectively, of the composite glass of the window,

and are of substantially S-section, as better seen in Figs. 5 and 6, providing oppositely opening channels 32 and 33 respectively facing toward and away from the glasses, the channels 32 having therein rubber seal strips 34 of channel section in which the glasses are disposed.

As indicated in Fig. 5, the channel 33 of the stationary glass guard 29 embraces the n portions 23 of greater depth in tightly sealed relation thereto, and, as indicated in Fig, 6, the channel 33 of the movable glass guard 36 does not embrace the iin portion sealing impingement between the movable guard 30 and the n portion. 25 in the closed position of the window being between the outerv side of the n and the inner side of the channel portion 32. 'Ihis construction provides stable support and eiiectivev sealing between the guard 29 and the iin portion 23, permits the guards 29 and 30 to be constructed from stock of the same shape and provides for opening the glass 26 clear of its adjacent n portion.

, embracing adjacent hinge edges ofthe glasses 24 and 26 between which it is disposed. It also has a diagonal frame it, see Fig. 4, between the ends of adjacent seal strips 34 and. imping'es the main rubber frame 20, this arrangement thus providing a close seal about each glass and between the unit-and the body.

Upper and lower metal hinges 31 and 38 coaxial with the hinge seal 36, each comprises a body 39 secured to the guard 30, as by a screw 40, and having a trunnion 42 in a longitudinally halved journal 43 held together by screws 44; these hinges being embedded in, or lying within the space defined by the main rubber frame 2U.

The unit, as above constructed, with all of the par numbered from 24 to 44, carried by the main or heavy rubber frame 20, is preferably an assembly eiected separate and apart from the and, as desired, brought to position inside the vehicle and thrust outwardly normal to the plane of the window into the tubular flange I9 against the upright shoulder I6. It may, of course, also carry with it an operating mechanism or parts thereof to be hereinafter described, or these parts may be separately assembled.

After placing the unit, a sheet metal inner nish molding or frame 46, as shown more clearly in- Figs. 5 and 6, is also telescoped into the flange I9 and secured in place, as by a snap-action device, screws or any other suitable means.

Referring particularly'to Figs. 1, '7, 8 and 9, an operating or control mechanism comprises a box 41 for attachment to the vehicle body inside the window; a main shaft 50 journaled therein beingA biased by a spring 52 to turn clockwise as viewed in the drawings. This shaft has xed thereto a lever 53 to the outer end of which is pivoted a second lever 54 having pivoted to its outer end a shaft arm or link 55 of thinner stock,

and having a hook-like end 56, Fig. 7, in the channel 33 of the movable glass guard at the upiight edge of the composite glass remote fromthe hinge strap 36 and held by the main rubber4 lever 53, in the closed position of the window illustrated in Figs. 1 7 and 9, is disposed on the angular shoulder 6I of the pin 60. When it is desired to open the window, it is only necessary to depress the handle 63, which movement releases the lever 53 and permits it to move the parts to the open position of thev window illustrated in Fig.` 8,' this-*movement causing the glass 26 and associated guards 30 to pivot about the axes of the hinges 31 and 38, and the hinge seal 36 to ilex about to center. To close the window, a handle 64 is grasped and the -parts moved through a reverse movement, during which-the lever, engaging the hemi-spherical head of the pin 60, depresses this pin and causes it to snap back into position holding ,the lever 53 in the closed position of the window. An actuating force is thus trolled, as in the previous `form, is provided with a worm wheel 66 which is engaged .by a worm screw61 on a shaft 68, on which a handle 69 is also mounted.

By turning the handle 69, the above-described opening and closing movements of the window may be readily effected, but with the advantage that the window may be adjusted to any degree of opening desired at a position inv which the Window instantly locks upon discontinuance of movementof the handle, and may not be moved out of such adjustment by force against the window, or in any way, except by movement of the handle.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle, a body having an opening, and a window assembly including a unit frame for the opening, a glass for-the unit frame including an tion in the channels of the guards, glass members in the channels of the channelled seal elements, a hinge seal between adjacentedges of the glass members', and hinges coaxial with the hinge seal secured between the guards.

3. In a vehicle, a body having an opening; a window assembly for placement as a unit later'-A ally against the body overA the opening, and a frame for surrounding the unit and holding it to the body, said unit comprising an outer seal frame, a glass-edge guard frame inwardly of said seal frame including a stationary-portion and a vertically hinged portion, upper and lower hinges securing said portions to each other, glasses in said guard-frame portions, seal' elements between the glasses and said portions, and a hinge seal between adjacent upright edges of said glasses,

v said unit.holding frame pressing against the outer seal frame.

4. The combination with a sheet metal vehicle body having a window opening of a window unit therefor comprising an outer soft rubber frame,

sheet metal glass guards of channel section inpositely facing channel portions embracing adjacent edges ofthe glasses, and metal hingescoaxial with the rubber hinge secured between the guards, and a frame pressing against the outer rubber frame and held to the body.

5. A vehicle window comprising a body window frame, and a window unit including a complementary seal frame having an inner flange, a sheet metal glass guard frame having portions 'of reverse opening channel section, one of which embraces said flange, and a glass in the o'ther portion.

6. A vehicle window comprising a body window frame, and a window unit including a composite vframe complementary thereto embodying component facing portions of substantially C-shape,

hinges joining the adjacent'ends of the component portions, glasses sealed to the component portions, and Vmeans sealing the hinges and the glasses to each other in any relative position and sealing the component portions thereabout inclosed positionk relative to the body frame.

7. In a vehicle, a sheet metal body having a side opening about which there is a generally horizontal inwardly extending outer nish molding merging into an upright shoulder radiating away .from the molding and terminating in an inner' horizontal flange of greater dimension than the molding, a relatively heavy soft rubber frame closely iitting said ange against said shoulder and having an inwardly radiating perimetral fin, sheet metal glass guard frames of C-shape hinged together at the ends and having a section providing reverse opening' channels,

corresponding channels of the guards eachreceivng a glass and a'glass-edge seal of channel section, and the opposed channel of one of the guards embracing said iin, the iin opposite the opposed channel of the other guard lying outside such channel, a soft rubber strip of reverse open- .ing channel section embracingv adjacent hinge edges of the glasses, and a sheet metal inner nish molding frame ttingsaid inner horizontal body iiange against said heavy rubber frame.

8. In a vehicle, a window frame, a window glass in said frame comprising two sections one of which is hinged for relative movement with respect to the other section, and a rubber element having gripping portions embracing the adjacent section edges rmly and having a flexible portion intermediate of said gripping portions permitting relative movement therebetween, whereby said rubber element serves as a. sealing element for the space between said window sections.

JOSEPH LEDWIN'KA. 

